(A) To be eligible to receive a license to practice as a physician assistant, all of the following apply to an applicant:

1. (1) The applicant shall be at least eighteen years of age.
2. (2) The applicant shall be of good moral character.
3. (3) The applicant shall hold current certification by the national commission on certification of physician assistants or a successor organization that is recognized by the state medical board.

4. (4) The applicant shall meet either of the following requirements:

   1. (a) The educational requirements specified in division (B)(1) or (2) of this section;
   2. (b) The educational or other applicable requirements specified in division (C)(1), (2), or (3) of this section.

(B) For purposes of division (A)(4)(a) of this section, an applicant shall meet either of the following educational requirements:

1. (1) The applicant shall hold a master's or higher degree obtained from a program accredited by the accreditation review commission on education for the physician assistant or a predecessor or successor organization recognized by the board.

2. (2) The applicant shall hold both of the following degrees:

   1. (a) A degree other than a master's or higher degree obtained from a program accredited by the accreditation review commission on education for the physician assistant or a predecessor or successor organization recognized by the board;
   2. (b) A master's or higher degree in a course of study with clinical relevance to the practice of physician assistants and obtained from a program accredited by a regional or specialized and professional accrediting agency recognized by the council for higher education accreditation.

(C) For purposes of division (A)(4)(b) of this section, an applicant shall present evidence satisfactory to the board of meeting one of the following requirements in lieu of meeting the educational requirements specified in division (B)(1) or (2) of this section:

1. (1) The applicant shall hold a current, valid license or other form of authority to practice as a physician assistant issued by another jurisdiction and have been in active practice in any jurisdiction throughout the three-year period immediately preceding the date of application.
2. (2) The applicant shall hold a degree obtained as a result of being enrolled on January 1, 2008, in a program in this state that was accredited by the accreditation review commission on education for the physician assistant but did not grant a master's or higher degree to individuals enrolled in the program on that date, and completing the program on or before December 31, 2009.

3. (3) The applicant shall hold a degree obtained from a program accredited by the accreditation review commission on education for the physician assistant and meet either of the following experience requirements:

   1. (a) Have experience practicing as a physician assistant for at least three consecutive years while on active duty, with evidence of service under honorable conditions, in any of the armed forces of the United States or the national guard of any state, including any experience attained while practicing as a physician assistant at a health care facility or clinic operated by the United States department of veterans affairs;
   2. (b) Have experience practicing as a physician assistant for at least three consecutive years while on active duty in the United States public health service commissioned corps.

(E)

1. (1) This section does not require an individual to obtain a master's or higher degree as a condition of retaining or renewing a license to practice as a physician assistant if the individual received the license without holding a master's or higher degree as provided in either of the following:

   1. (a) Before the educational requirements specified in division (B)(1) or (2) of this section became effective January 1, 2008;
   2. (b) By meeting the educational or other applicable requirements specified in division (C)(1), (2), or (3) of this section.
2. (2) A license described in division (E)(1) of this section authorizes the license holder to exercise physician-delegated prescriptive authority if, on the effective date of this amendment , the license holder held a valid certificate to prescribe issued under former section 4730.44 of the Revised Code, as it existed immediately prior to the effective date of this amendment .

3. (3) On application of an individual who received a license without having first obtained a master's or higher degree and is not authorized under division (E)(2) of this section to exercise physician-delegated prescriptive authority, the board shall grant the individual the authority to exercise physician-delegated prescriptive authority if the individual provides evidence satisfactory to the board of having obtained a master's or higher degree from either of the following:

   1. (a) A program accredited by the accreditation review commission on education for the physician assistant or a predecessor or successor organization recognized by the board;
   2. (b) A program accredited by a regional or specialized and professional accrediting agency recognized by the council for higher education accreditation, if the degree is in a course of study with clinical relevance to the practice of physician assistants.